Wayfarin' Stranger
by yassandra
Summary: It's Christmas in Hazzard but things aren't exactly merry at least not for the Dukes.
1. Christmas Shopping

**This is my first Dukes of Hazzard fan fic so please be nice to me. I know some of the characters may be a little bit out of character but I'm working on them – honest injun!**

**Oh and I own nothing.**

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****It all started on a crisp clear mornin' a week before Christmas. Luke Duke's out shoppin' for Christmas presents. He don't look none too happy does he? And he's on his own, which is strange since most folks in Hazzard reckon him and his cousin are joined at the hip.**

Luke Duke sighed as he dropped the two small bags into the trunk of General Lee. All around him people were bustling and across the square the children's choir were singing 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas'. Luke let the trunk slam shut as he scowled to himself. Merry Christmas. Well it was nearly Christmas but Luke didn't feel very merry. At home Daisy had been trying hard to make everything seen normal but it wasn't and Luke just couldn't get up any enthusiasm for what was usually his favourite holiday.

"_C'mon Luke. Come an' see what Santa's left for us."_

_Ten year old Luke smiled indulgently at his little blonde cousin. It had been a tough year for all the Dukes what with Aunt Lavinia's death but nothing could dampen the small child's excitement for Christmas._

"_Hold on a second Bo. Let me get some clothes on."_

Luke shook his head, trying to shake away the memory that had suddenly assaulted him.

Further down the street a small child was running, tugging at the hand of an older sibling, hat off and blonde curls bobbing. Luke sighed again, remembering a time when his two younger cousins had run along the same street tugging at _his_ hands.

"Well hello Luke."

Luke turned, plastering a smile that he didn't really feel on his face.

"Hey Miz Tisdale."

The tiny postmistress looked up at the dark haired young man in front of her and smiled fondly.

"Now how's that handsome uncle of yours?"

"Uncle Jesse's …," Luke paused, trying to think of an appropriate word, "he's ok I guess."

"You know I still can't believe that I let that one get away," Miz Tisdale smiled. "And how's your pretty cousin Daisy?"

"Daisy's fine."

"I haven't seen much of any of you for a while, but I guess you'll have been busy on that farm of yours. Especially with your cousin going away so sudden like he did. Have you heard from him?"

Although the question was kind enough Luke found himself resenting it.

"No," he answered shortly.

"Well don't you worry," Miz Tisdale responded. "I'm sure he'll be home soon. Christmas is a time for miracles you know."

**Now what in the heck do y'all think all that was about?**


	2. Praying for a Miracle

**Once again I own nothing.**

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**For those of you wonderin' where Bo Duke is, this is Atlanta. An' for those of you wonderin' why he's here instead of back home in Hazzard where he belongs… well so am I.**

Bo tried to push his way through the tide of people to the end of the street. He didn't really like the city. Too many people and too much noise. It made him feel vaguely claustrophobic.

On the corner of the street a Santa stood ringing a bell and rattling a tin in aid of some charity. Bo walked past without stopping, his usually open and sunny face clouded, shoulders hunched and hands thrust deeply into his jacket pockets in an attempt to ward off the chill.

He was deeply unhappy and the fact that it was nearly Christmas only made things worse. When he had first left Hazzard, Bo had been too angry and hurt to even think about going home and now his stubborn pride wouldn't let him admit that he might have been wrong to leave the farm in the first place.

"They probably don't even miss me," he thought.

**You know sometimes that boy shows a remarkable lack of good sense.**

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Back in Hazzard Boss Hogg sat chortling over his latest money making scheme. He'd had a good six months. Most of his schemes had gone according to plan since no-one had interfered with them. Even the Dukes had been too wrapped up in their own affairs since Bo had left to bother with trying to stop him.

As he sat there counting his money, the door opened and Rosco entered the room with Flash his basset hound trailing behind him.

"Rosco," Boss snapped, "how many times do I have to tell you not to bother me when I'm countin' my money."

"I'm sorry Boss but I did like you told me an' set up a road block on Cottontail Road."

"Good, good. That shipment of televisions coming through Hazzard County in a few days will have to go around. That's when them hijackers will strike."

"Ooh I love it, I love it. An' I'll get fifty percent of your fifty percent."

"Wrong! You'll get fifty percent of fifty percent of my fifty percent," Boss's eyes narrowed greedily, "an' I'll get me a bonus. Luke Duke in jail and the Duke farm in my hands."

Rosco frowned.

"But the Dukes haven't got in the way in six months, little fat buddy."

"And I wanna keep it that way by gettin' those Dukes out of Hazzard once and for all."

**Uh-oh. Somethin' tells me that Bo had better get himself back home quick…or else he might not have a home to get back to.**

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Later that evening out at the Duke farm Luke sat at the kitchen table with Daisy, half-heartedly stringing some popcorn.

"Ya ok Luke?" Daisy asked.

"Yeah I guess," Luke answered. "It's just it don't seem much like Christmas does it?"

Daisy smiled sadly.

"I know sugar. But we've gotta try for Uncle Jesse's sake."

"I guess you're right." Luke laughed suddenly, although there was no real joy in the sound. "Hey you remember last Christmas when Boss tried to frame me an' Bo for hijackin' them Christmas trees?"

"An' you re-hijacked them and then you, Bo an' Cooter dressed up like Santa Clause and delivered them," Daisy smiled happily at the memory. Then she sighed and the smile faded. "I really miss Bo, don't you?"

"Yeah," Luke admitted. "I keep thinkin' that if we hadn't been fightin' over the repairs on the General then maybe I'd have been able to get him to talk an' then maybe he wouldn't have left."

"Luke you can't torture yourself with 'what ifs'. If the two of you hadn't been fightin'. If I hadn't yelled at him for treckin' mud all across my clean floor. If Uncle Jesse hadn't…" she trailed off into silence.

"You're right. I guess there's things we'd all do different if we could do them again. Listen I'm gonna go out for a walk. I'll be back later."

**You know it just breaks my heart to see the Dukes like this.**

Outside Luke walked over to the fence and looked out across the dark fields, letting himself remember the few days leading up to Bo's departure from the farm.

_It had started as something simple. In trying to outrun Rosco, Bo had made a jump and the General's front axle had been broken. It was really no-one's fault – just an accident. But Luke had been in a bad mood because he'd just broken up with his girlfriend and had lashed out at his cousin._

_Naturally Bo's hot temper had flared and they'd both ended up saying things they didn't really mean. The argument had ended as arguments between them usually did – with them both walking away hurt. Of course they'd both been too stubborn and too proud to apologise to each other and relations had been strained between them for a couple of days, although that managed to stay civil for Uncle Jesse's sake. For his part the old man had decided to stay out of it, concluding that the boys would work it out eventually like they always did – the bond between them seemed too strong to think otherwise._

_Then Bo had come in from the fields and had earned the wrath of both Daisy and Uncle Jesse for not taking his muddy boots off at the door. It was nothing unusual and at the time seemed like a minor event. Of course none of them knew then about the storm that was about to break in their midst._

_After supper that evening Uncle Jesse had remembered a letter that had arrived for Bo earlier that day._

_As he read it the blonde boy started to frown, his scowl deepening the more he read._

"_What's wrong?" Uncle Jesse asked._

"_I reckon someone's tryin' to play a trick on me," Bo almost growled. "It's from some fancy solicitor down in New Orleans sayin' that Maggie Duke just died, an' they traced that I was her son, an' do I want to sort out the funeral. But it's gotta be a mistake 'cause my Momma died with my Daddy more than twenty years ago."_

_Luke looked at his glowering cousin and then turned to his uncle, waiting for the old man's reassurance. To his surprise he saw that his uncle's eyes were closed as if in pain. The old man looked down at his hands and then up at his youngest nephew._

"_Bo. Son," he stopped for a minute, as though he was unsure what to say next, before continuing. "There's somethin' I've been meanin' to tell you. I've been meanin' to tell you for a long time but I guess I always figured you was just a might too young," he stopped again. "It's about your Daddy and Momma. See the thing is Robert, your Daddy, well he did die in that car crash when you was a baby but your Momma didn't."_

_The room was silent for a moment._

"_What are ya talkin' about, Uncle Jesse?" Bo asked in confusion. "You told me that my Momma died…"_

"_I know I did. But you were just four years old when you asked about your parents an' I thought you were too young to understand. You see Maggie was very young, an' then Robert died, an' you was so sickly…" the old man trailed off._

"_She didn't want me," the young man said in a quiet, stunned voice._

"_Now it wasn't like that. Maggie… well I think she just thought you'd be better off with me and your Aunt Lavinia. I mean we already had Luke…"_

_Luke had never seen his cousin look so pale. Anger, confusion and hurt playing across his features._

"_You knew she was alive all this time an' you never told me? Didn't ya think I'd have liked to have got to know her?" By this time Bo was on his feet, almost shouting at his uncle._

"_I know this has been a shock but I don't want ya to get upset," Uncle Jesse said soothingly._

"_You lied to me," Bo said in a dreadfully quiet voice. "You lied to me Uncle Jesse."_

_Luke winced as he watched one of the cornerstones of his cousin's life crumble. That Uncle Jesse could have lied to any of them had been unthinkable just a few moments before._

"_Bo," Uncle Jesse said, taking a step towards his nephew._

"_No," the young man responded, stepping backwards. "No. You lied to me. You lied."_

"_Bo, why don't you sit down an' we can all talk, sugar?" asked Daisy, finally finding her voice after the shock of all the revelations._

"_I don't wanna talk. I don't wanna talk to any of ya."_

_With that Bo turned and ran out of the house._

"_Bo!" Daisy called after him._

_Luke exchanged a quick look with his uncle before running out after his cousin. By the time he got outside Bo was already halfway in through the driver's window of the General._

"_Bo, c'mon. Please. Let's talk."_

_The young blonde paused and looked at his older cousin. Luke cringed at the pain he saw reflected in the blue eyes. He took an involuntary step towards Bo, wanting nothing more than to comfort his cousin the way he had done so many times before when they were both children._

"_I told ya I don't wanna talk." Bo laughed bitterly. "Boy you must really be enjoying this."_

_Luke was stung._

"_You know me better than that."_

"_Maybe but I also know that it ain't two days since you was tellin' me how stupid I am. Well I guess you was right after all cousin."_

_Luke took another step forward._

"_Leave me alone Lukas. Just leave me the heck alone."_

_Bo slid the rest of the way in through the window and sped away from the farm._

_No-one really slept at the Duke farm that night. For the most part they sat in silence, not really knowing what to say to each other, and all worrying about the youngest member of their family._

_When morning came and Bo still hadn't returned home, Luke started to worry even more. Then Cooter had arrived towing the General and told them that he had found it outside his garage with a note attached to the windscreen asking him to take it home. A second note addressed to Uncle Jesse informed them that Bo had left Hazzard and asked them not to bother to try to find him._

Luke sighed and hit the fence gently with his palm. That note had been the last thing any of them had heard from Bo. Six months had passed and Luke found himself missing his best-friend a little more each day.

Across the yard Uncle Jesse left the barn and trudged back to the house. Luke frowned, noticing how sad and old his uncle looked now. He looked up at the sky.

"Miz Tisdale said Christmas was a time for miracles. Listen I don't know if ya can hear me up there but this family sure could use a miracle right about now."

Luke turned and slowly went back to the house.


	3. Sunday Morning Coming Down

**I can't believe I got so many reviews – I don't think I've ever got this many before. Thank you all so much! **

**The chapter is a couple of days later than I intended because I had a family emergency earlier in the week. I can't promise to finish the whole story by Christmas Day but I will try.**

**Once again I own nothing – if I did I think it would have to be Bo.**

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Bo woke up suddenly when he fell out of bed. He grunted, squinting his eyes against the bright winter morning sun that was trying to break in through the drapes, as the full effects of a night spent in a local bar hit him like a hammer. As a rule Bo didn't get drunk very often – Uncle Jesse didn't like it – but last night it had seemed like a good idea. He groaned and pushed himself up off the floor, untangling himself from amongst the bed sheets, intent on finding some aspirin and something to take the furry feeling out of his mouth. He stood up slowly, bracing himself against the bed frame as the room briefly spun, and picked up a shirt that he had discarded on the floor. After sniffing it to see how clean it was, Bo pulled the shirt on over his head and stumbled into the small bathroom.

The apartment he had lived in for the past three months was tiny, run down and in one of the rougher neighbourhoods but it was all Bo could afford. Steady work was scarce and he has worked a series of low-paying short-term jobs which just about covered the rent but left little money for anything else. The last job he had worked had ended two weeks ago and unless something else came up soon he would end up being evicted.

As he brushed his teeth, Bo looked at himself in the mirror, scarcely recognising his own reflection. What day was it? Sunday. The blonde young man grimaced at the realisation. Of all the days in the week Sunday was the worst. It was the day when he missed his family the most – and he-d never felt quite as far away from home as he did right now.

He sighed, thinking about what his family would be doing right now. Daisy would be getting breakfast while Luke and Uncle Jesse finished their morning chores. Then the whole family would set off for church together, before returning to a good lunch. Since this was the last Sunday before Christmas the afternoon would be taken up with a carol concert in aid of the orphanage. In his mind Bo could see each member of his family and could imagine exactly what they were doing.

_The small church was crowded and too warm and the service seemed to be going on forever. Sixteen year old Bo sat staring into space, a far-away look in his blue eyes. In his mind he was racing a car around a track having achieved his dream of becoming a NASCAR driver. A sharp nudge in his side quickly brought him back to reality. Uncle Jesse had noticed him daydreaming and was glaring at him in admonishment. Bo bit his lip and looked down at the ground, cheeks flushing slightly. The old man's gaze softened and he put his arm around the boy's shoulders, smiling softly as the curly blonde head dropped down and rested briefly on his shoulder._

Bo sighed again as the unwanted memory took him back to a time when he had felt loved and wanted. He sat down on the toilet, put his head down into his hands and for the first time in six months cried for the life he'd left behind.

**You know I guess it's true what they say – you just don't know what you've got 'till it's gone.**

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Father John smiled to himself as he puttered around tidying the church after the morning service. The theme of the service, the story of the prodigal son, was one of his favourites, even though it wasn't a traditional Christmas theme. Father John has been a minister for forty years and he prided himself on knowing what his flock needed to hear. A slight sound disturbed him and he looked up with a frown. He was startled to see a young man sitting at the back of the church apparently deep in thought. Father John's frown deepened. The young man had been attending services for nearly three months now and, although he was unfailingly polite and pleasant, Father John couldn't help feeling he was in some sort of trouble.

The old man moved silently to the back of the church and sat down next to his younger companion. Up close he realised that the young man was even younger than he had though, scarcely more than a boy, and his eyes were soft and sad.

"Preacher did ya really believe that parable you was preachin'?"

Father John turned to the boy beside him and smiled.

"What's yer name son?" he asked.

"Bo." The answer was quick and quiet.

"Well Bo I think that God's always willin' to welcome us home again."

The young blonde frowned.

"That's not what I mean. I mean d'ya reckon that someone can always go home no matter what they've done?"

"Why d'ya ask?"

Bo bit his lip and looked at the ground. He sighed.

"I had this big argument with my family an' I said some stuff I didn't really mean an' then I left. See I don't have any parents an' I grew up with my uncle an' he did something that made me real mad an'," the young man paused. "I ain't seen my family in six months and I'm really missin' them," he said.

Father John regarded him carefully.

"What are your family like?"

"Well there's my cousin Daisy. She's a real sweet girl and really pretty. All the men in Hazzard want to go out with her. If she wasn't my cousin…" Bo broke off suddenly. "Anyway she wouldn't hurt a fly. She's got a temper on her – we all have – but there ain't nothing that she won't do for her family," he paused again. "Then there's Luke. He's my cousin too. Except he's really like my big brother an' he's my best friend. We fight sometimes – we was fightin' just before I left – but I guess he's always looked out for me. Luke's older'n me an' when I was little he always included me in what he was doin' no matter what. We've got this car together. Built it ourselves. We used to dream that one day we'd go on the NASCAR circuit together." Bo sighed. "I said some awful things to him."

As he broke off again the old minister looked sympathetically at him and smiled encouragingly.

"Uncle Jesse raised all three of us from little kids. Ya don't wanna get on his bad side when he's riled up an' he's got a really firm hand. But I guess he loves us just as if we was his own. Ya see him an' my Aunt Lavinia couldn't have kids of their own. I don't remember my parents and I was only five when Aunt Lavinia died but Uncle Jesse's always been there. An' I know he was only tryin' to protect me by doin' what he did but I was so angry at him," the young blonde's voice was sad. "I kinda wish I could still be angry at him but I keep thinkin' about when I was little an' sick an' he'd look after me. I always knew that whatever I did I could always come home and be forgiven."

"They sound like a nice family," Father John stated.

"Oh they are," came the reply. "I never wanted to be anything except one of the Duke family from Hazzard County." He sighed again. "Uncle Jesse always said that a Duke didn't run away from their problems. That we always faced things as a family. I guess I'm scared that I've finally done the one thing that he can't forgive an' that they won't want me back."

The two sat in silence for a minute.

"Ya know," the old man started, "I've been a preacher for forty years an' I've seen a lot in my time. When the members of a family really love each other there ain't much that they can't forgive." He turned to look at the young man seriously. "I think you know what you need to do son."

Bo turned and really smiled for the first time in the three months that Father John had known him.

"I reckon I do," he said.

**I think Bo's finally beginnin' to come around. That just warms my heart.**

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The two days following his conversation with Father John had passed in a blur for Bo. On the spur of the moment he had packed all of his things into a battered backpack, paid off his bills and set out for Hazzard. Unfortunately the five dollars in his wallet hadn't got him very far so here he was, four days before Christmas, on the road between Capitol City and Hazzard, hitchhiking in the rain.

It was late, very late, and he was cold and tired. He hadn't seen any cars for at least an hour and he had become resigned to walking all the way home if necessary. Grimly Bo hitched his backpack higher on his shoulders, trying hard to ignore his aching feet and back, and the rain which had turned from drizzle to a steady downpour about half an hour before.

Suddenly he heard an engine and stuck out his thumb, more in hope than expectation that whoever it was would stop. To his surprise a grey sedan pulled to a halt in front of him and the passenger door opened. Bo hurried over to get in.

**It looks like things are startin' to look up for the Dukes an' I reckon Bo comin' home is gonna put a kink in ol' Boss Hogg's ploughline. Y'all stick around now, ya hear?**


	4. In The Still Of The Night

**Thank you once again for the reviews. I agree with those of you that say a sedan is usually bad news (although the General is a sedan isn't it?) but you'll have to read on to find out if this one is.**

**This chapter's a bit late and shorter than I originally intended but please bear with me – I'm not completely satisfied with it but it's kind of a linking chapter.**

**I don't own the Dukes – although I wish I did.

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At the Duke farm Luke sat at the kitchen table absently flicking through a car magazine. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Uncle Jesse fixing himself a cup of coffee and somewhere in the other room Daisy was humming a tune quietly to herself.

Suddenly the CB sprang to life.

"Breaker one, breaker one. I may be crazy but I ain't dumb. Crazy Cooter comin' at ya. Any of y'all Dukes home on the Hazzard net?"

As Luke turned to reach for the CB, Uncle Jesse frowned.

"What the heck does Cooter want at this time of night?" the old man demanded.

Luke shrugged.

"You got Luke, Crazy C. What's on yer mind?"

"Are y'all at home? I got a package for ya that's too big for Miz Tisdale to deliver."

Luke frowned slightly.

"Can't it wait 'til mornin'? It's kinda late."

"I'm turnin' inta the farm now. I'll be with ya in a minute."

Uncle Jesse huffed.

"Dang that Cooter. Don't he know that we've got beds to go to?"

Luke shrugged again. As Daisy came into the kitchen an engine sounded outside.

"Guess that's Cooter now," Luke said as he moved towards the kitchen door.

Outside the Dukes were surprised to see a strange car rather than Cooter's familiar truck. Cooter popped out of the driver's side with a big smile on his face.

"Alright Cooter," growled Uncle Jesse, "what was so all fire important that it couldn't wait 'til mornin'?"

Cooter's smile grew wider until he was positively beaming.

"Got a present for ya, Uncle Jesse," he answered.

"I ain't yer Uncle Jesse," the old man grumbled as he stomped towards the car. As he got to the passenger side he stopped, staring in surprise.

"Bo," he breathed.

Luke and Daisy exchanged a startled look before hurrying over to join their uncle.

The young blonde Duke boy was curled up fast asleep inside the car.

"I was bringin' this car back from Capitol City for Old Man Stevens an' I found him hitchhiking on the Hatchapee Road," Cooter explained. "He was soaked right through an' fell asleep about half way here. I didn't like to wake him 'cause I figured he was just plumb wore out."

Luke squeezed Cooter's shoulder gratefully. Uncle Jesse opened the car door quietly, crouched down and gently shook his youngest nephew's shoulder. Bo yawned and blinked sleepily in confusion at his uncle. Without saying a word the old man pulled the boy into a fierce hug, smiling softly as Bo buried his face in his shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Uncle Jesse noticed that his nephew was shivering against him. He frowned slightly and pulled back.

"C'mon son," he said. "Let's get inside an' get you warm an' dry."

With that he stood and pulled the young man to his feet, slipping an arm around his waist as he did so.

Daisy skipped on ahead to the house to find a clean towel as Cooter handed Luke Bo's backpack. Luke turned to face the mechanic and smiled.

"I don't know how to thank ya."

"Well y'all woulda done the same for me," he answered.

"Ya wanna come in?"

"Nah I reckon I'm gonna go home. See ya tomorrow. Take it easy greezy."

He slipped back into the car and sped away.

Luke watched him leave and then hurried into the house. Inside Uncle Jesse had sat his younger nephew down in front of the fire. As Luke entered the house he saw Daisy watching them from the kitchen doorway. Without saying a word he walked over to her and slipped an arm around her shoulders. The girl responded by squeezing her dark haired cousin's waist. Their blonde cousin stared into the fire, gnawing on his lower lip.

"I'm sorry Uncle Jesse," he mumbled almost inaudibly, "I'm so sorry. I've missed y'all so much."

Uncle Jesse frowned deeply and gently lifted his nephew's chin until he could look the boy in the eyes.

"Now you listen to me Beauregard Duke you ain't got nothin' to be sorry for," he rumbled as he pushed the young man's blonde curls out of his eyes. He sighed. "But why didn't ya come back before if you missed us?"

"I didn't think you'd want me back after everythin' I said an' did."

"What?" Luke exclaimed as Daisy breathed "Oh Bo."

The old man closed his eyes and breathed out explosively. He put his arm around his younger nephew's shoulders and squeezed tightly.

"Look at me Bo," he commanded. Once he was sure he had the boy's full attention he continued. "I love you so much. Yer my little boy. An' there ain't nothin' in this world that'll change that. There's nothin' ya could do that'd make me love ya any less. And as long as I'm around you'll always have a home here fer as long as ya want it." He brushed Bo's hair back again. "Now I reckon we can talk some more in the mornin'. Yer thinner than I'd like – I guess you've not been eating too regularly – and ya look tired. You're runnin' a slight fever too but I don't think that's anything a good night's sleep won't fix. C'mon I think it's just about time you was in bed."

Uncle Jesse led the boy to his room and tucked him into bed as if he was still a small child, smiling softly as he remembered doing the same thing with all three of his children in years past. He rested his hand gently on his nephew's forehead, noting as he did so that Bo had been asleep almost as soon as he'd lain down. Turning, he left the room quietly, gently closing the door behind him. As he crossed the kitchen the old man paused beside his older nephew sitting at the kitchen table and briefly squeezed the young man's shoulder with one hand, before exiting through the kitchen door. Outside on the porch he stopped and looked up at the sky.

"Thank you," he said.

* * *

In the middle of the night Luke was woken up by a soft whimpering sound. Years of sharing a room had attuned him to the sounds his cousin made at night. Right now Bo was tossing and murmuring quietly in his sleep. Luke sleepily slid out of bed and padded silently across the room, the floorboards cold beneath his bare feet. He ran a practised hand across his cousin's forehead and smoothed back the honey blonde curls. As he did Bo quietened. Luke smiled softly. When they had been children Luke had always been able to calm his younger cousin after a nightmare by smoothing his hair and it looked as though it still worked. Noticing that Bo still felt a little hot to touch, Luke quietly fetched a bowl of water and a washcloth and mopped his cousin's face and chest.

Sometime later he was startled awake by a hand gently shaking his shoulder. He looked up into the concerned face of his uncle, wondering how long he'd been asleep.

"Go back to bed Luke," the old man said in a tone that brooked no argument.

As Luke stood Uncle Jesse reached down and gently touched his younger nephew's face. He smiled.

"Fever's broken," he said.

The last thing Luke saw before sleep reclaimed him was his uncle gently straightening the covers over his cousin.

**I think this may just end up bein' a merry Christmas after all.**


	5. Cross and Doublecross

**Thanks for the reviews – I'm glad you all seem to like the story so much.**

**I'm sorry that this chapter took a while in coming but we've had a death in the family which, while not unexpected, has taken my attention – there always seems to be so much to organise. Anyway enough of that now – on with the story!**

**I don't own the Dukes – although I wish I did.**

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Luke woke up again at daybreak. For one horrible moment he had the feeling that everything that had happened the previous night had been a dream. Then he glanced across the room and saw the shape under the covers of the other bed. He smiled. His cousin appeared to have burrowed his way under the quilt and now all that was to be seen of him was a few tufts of blonde hair sticking out.

Knowing that Bo sometimes slept lightly, Luke slid out of bed, picked up his clothes and crept out of the room quietly, so as not to disturb his cousin. In the bathroom he washed, quickly dressed and combed his hair. Once out in the kitchen he stopped to pull on his boots and picked up his wallet. He frowned as he noticed that his driving licence was missing. Having been in town picking up some supplies for Uncle Jesse the previous day there was always the possibility that he had lost it there, but it was unlike Luke to be that careless. As he searched again, his uncle came into the kitchen and started to make some coffee.

"Mornin' Luke," he rumbled.

The dark haired Duke boy smiled

"Mornin'."

"Bo still asleep?"

"Yeah. I'm not sure a tornado'd wake him right now." Luke paused. "Uncle Jesse have ya seen my drivin' licence anywhere?"

The old man turned to him and frowned.

"No," he admitted.

"Ah well. I reckon I must've lost it in town yesterday. I'll go into town after breakfast an' check all the places I went. Guess I'd better check with Rosco an' Cletus too – see if anyone's handed it in." Luke shook his head at his own carelessness as he picked up the egg basket. "I'll go get the eggs this mornin'."

**Now friends if any of ya really believe ol' Luke just happens to have lost his licence then I've got a real nice bit of swamp land to sell ya.**

* * *

At an old hunting shack deep in the woods two men sat eating a breakfast of cold beans straight out of the can. As they ate the door opened and a third man came in. He was tall and broad shouldered with close cropped hair and a real mean look in his eye. He stopped and glared at his companions.

"That shipment comes through Hazzard today," he growled. "Things have been goin' well so far but I don't want no mistakes."

One of the other men – a small rat faced little man with greasy black hair – looked up.

"Don't sweat it Carson," he said, "it's all gonna go just like you planned."

Carson rounded on him.

"That's the sorta attitude that'll get us caught," he yelled.

The third man looked up.

"Take it easy both of ya," he said. "Listen Carson, Rivers is right. We've done this before and we ain't got caught."

Carson grunted.

"Did ya get that local hick's licence like Hogg wanted Harper?"

Harper barked a laugh.

"Yeah. I 'bumped' into him in town yesterday. Lifted it right outta his pocket. That redneck never even noticed."

The tall man almost smiled.

"Good," he said. "We'll just happen to drop it when we take that truck."

"Why've we gotta work for that fat old fool Hogg anyway?" Rivers sniffed.

"We don't," answered Carson. "We're gonna let him think we're workin' for him so he'll pay for all the expenses. Then when the job's done we fence the stuff through a friend of mine in Atlanta and take off with all the money leavin' this Luke Duke to take the fall."

**Uh-oh!**

* * *

Back at the Duke farm the sun was well and truly up when Bo finally made it into to kitchen, tousle headed and yawning sleepily. As he sat down at the table, Uncle Jesse looked up and grinned.

"Well good mornin'. We was beginnin' to think you was plannin' on sleepin' 'til noon."

"You ok sugar?" asked Daisy as she expertly slid bacon onto four plates.

She was rewarded with a nod from her younger cousin, who was not yet awake enough for coherent speech. As Daisy placed the plates on the table her uncle smiled as he noticed that she had slipped some extra food onto Bo's plate. Apparently he wasn't the only one who thought the young man looked too thin. Once she was seated the old man folded his hands and bowed his head, followed by his children.

"Our Father we thank thee for this bounteous table which thou hast placed before us," he began, "and for uniting this family again under one roof in this season of peace an' goodwill. Amen."

Breakfast was a cheerful affair with all three Duke kids teasing each other unmercifully all the way through. Uncle Jesse, however, sensed a fair bit of uncertainty and insecurity in his youngest charge. He sighed mentally, having the feeling that things were still going to take some time to get completely back to normal. As a child Bo had always been more insecure than his two older cousins, often needing more reassurance and physical demonstrations of love than either Daisy or Luke. He was the most adventurous and extroverted of the three but had also always been the first one to seek out a lap or need a hug. The old man smiled at his memories. Time had done little it seemed to change his youngest child.

"So where ya been anyway?" asked Luke.

Bo sighed.

"Well I went down to New Orleans first to see that fancy pants solicitor. Then I came back to Atlanta. Been there about three months."

"What did the solicitor say?" Daisy asked.

"Not much," her cousin admitted. "Just that there was this shoebox of stuff fer me."

"What's in the box?"

"I don't know. I ain't opened it," Bo answered shortly.

Luke, noting that his youngest cousin's mood had changed rapidly and knowing that the situation was still a bit delicate, decided to change the subject quickly.

"What the heck were ya doin' hitchhikin' on the Hatchapee Road last night cuz?" he asked.

Bo laughed.

"Well that kinda started when I went to church on Sunday," he began.

* * *

**While the Dukes are havin' breakfast so is Boss Hogg. Raw liver an' coffee… at least he ain't dunkin' the liver in the coffee.**

Sheriff Rosco P Coltrane shuddered as he watched his brother-in-law cut another sliver of liver and place it in his mouth. Rosco accepted most things Boss did without question but the sight of a man eating raw liver turned his stomach.

"Anyway Boss I was thinkin'," he started.

"Rosco you ain't capable of thinkin' as long as a week's got a Sunday in it," his fat companion retorted. "Now those televisions will be comin' through this afternoon an' I need you to make sure that no-one interferes when Carson and his boys take the truck. Keep Cletus out of the way. The last thing we want is for that idiot to go blundering in by mistake. Then you'll need to hightail it out to the Duke farm and arrest Luke Duke fer hijacking, armed robbery and grand theft auto."

"Ghyu, ghyu. He'll get twenty years at least."

"An' it'll all be on account of that drivin' licence he dropped when he was doin' the hijackin'. And then I'll get my hands on the Duke farm."

"How come little fat buddy?"

"Rosco you oughta've been a bone specialist… you've got the brain for it!"

"Ooh er ooh."

"Tomorrow is December 23rd dodo and' Jesse Duke's mortgage payment is due. But suppose, just suppose, his no-good nephew had got himself arrested and thrown in jail an' bail was gonna take all of Jesse's money. D'ya really think old Jesse'd let Luke rot in jail over Christmas?"

"No Boss I don't," Rosco answered dutifully.

Boss smiled predatorily.

"If he bails Luke out he won't be able to pay the mortgage."

"What if he don't pay the bail?" asked the sheriff.

"Well," Boss answered, "with Luke in jail and Bo away there'll be no-one to help Jesse and Daisy on the farm an' I'll end up getting it anyway."

"Ooh I love it, I love it."

"An' after you've arrested Luke Duke you and Cletus are gonna go and round up Carson and his boys as Luke's accomplices." Boss chortled. "It's gonna be a mighty fine Christmas with all the money from those televisions an' Luke Duke in jail and the Duke family out of Hazzard for good."

**So Boss is plannin' on double-crossin' Carson and his boys who are plannin' on double-crossin' him… with Luke stuck in the middle. Friends I think this one may get a bit hairy.**


	6. Promises

**Thanks once again for all your kind reviews.**

**You might be right vinsmouse – I know where the story's going and even I need a map!**

**There isn't much action in this chapter – so I'll apologise to anyone who wanted a bit more right now – but I think it's kind of necessary so that I can get some of the angst out of the way.**

**I don't own the Dukes – although I wish I did.**

* * *

Luke hummed softly to himself as he placed a package in the back of the General. Since he had to go into town to search for his lost driving licence, Uncle Jesse had asked him to pick up a few last minute Christmas things that had been forgotten and to deliver a few packages to the orphanage.

"How's he runnin'?"

Luke turned to face his cousin with a smile.

"Like a dream," he answered. "I gotta go into town to try and find my dang licence. Wanna come?"

Bo gazed longingly at the car but smiled ruefully and shook his head.

"I can't. Uncle Jesse wants us to have a long talk." He grimaced. "I ain't been this nervous since ol' Mr Winterbottom caught me in his hayloft with Sarah-Jane Beaumont."

Luke laughed.

"Yeah. You were so scared he was gonna tell Uncle Jesse."

"How'd you know about that?"

"Uncle Jesse told me."

"He knew?"

"He knew."

"How'd he find out?"

"Ain't you learned yet that there ain't nothin' we do gets past Uncle Jesse. 'sides the fact that you couldn't sit down fer a week kinda gave ya away."

Bo laughed.

"Mr Beaumont filled my backside with buckshot when he found out about me an' Sarah-Jane."

"I know."

"Uncle Jesse?"

"Uncle Jesse."

The blonde young man shook his head again.

"Ya know he never said nothin' to me 'bout any of it."

"Well I guess he figured that if ya was old enough to be tryin' what ya was tryin' in that hayloft ya was old enough to take the consequences," Luke said.

The two stood in companionable silence for a few minutes. Luke smiled at his cousin.

"I've gotta go." Suddenly he came around the back of the car and startled Bo by giving him a quick fierce hug. "I'm glad you're back cuz," he said, then hopped into the General and sped off.

Bo watched him leave and then turned back towards the house.

"He really missed ya you know."

The young man looked at his pretty cousin and smiled.

"I'm back now an' I ain't plannin' on goin' again Daisy."

Daisy smiled back at him, hopped down off the porch and linked her arm through his.

"Good," she said.

* * *

Tony Dawson was a stranger to Hazzard County. Hailing from California originally, his job as a long distance trucker took him all over the country. This would be his last trip before Christmas and he looked forward to going home to his family. Tony was an ordinary man who took pleasure from ordinary things – watching his kids open their Christmas presents or lying in bed cuddling with his wife.

As he came around a bend in the road he saw a road closed sign ahead of him with a diversion sign pointing to a road that appeared to be little more than a dirt track. Tony cursed. What the heck was this? He hated having to travel through these hick counties. Not a decent road in one of them. Cursing again, he wrenched the wheel of his truck around and headed off down the diversion.

About five miles down the road he came across a car pulled across the road apparently broken down. The driver was peering at something under the hood as his car completely blocked the road. Tony sighed. This just wasn't his day. He was already running late because of road works in the previous county and this would hold him up even more. Oh well there was nothing else for it. He would have to do what he could to help the car driver so that he could get moving again as soon as possible. He climbed out of the cab and approached the car.

"Hey there," he called. "Anything I can do to help?"

Suddenly he felt something hard being pressed into the small of his back.

"Oh yeah," growled the voice behind him. "You can start by givin' my buddy your keys and your wallet."

Tony nodded and slowly reached into his pocket. He wasn't stupid enough to try to be a hero when someone was pointing a gun at him. As he did so the car driver came up from under the hood and pointed a second gun at him, while a third man came from behind him. Tony noticed with a certain detachment that they were both wearing ski masks. As he held out his wallet and keys the third man reached into his pocket and took out a handkerchief, using it to hold the keys and wallet. Something small and rectangular fell out of the handkerchief and lay, apparently unnoticed by the hijacker, on the road.

Within a couple of minutes it was all over. Two of the men had taken off in Tony's truck while the other had raced away in the car.

Tony stood still for a moment before walking over to the thing that the thief had dropped and picking it up. He turned it over in his hands. It was a driving licence. Tony smiled. "Well Mr Luke Duke," he thought, "you've just made the biggest mistake of your life… and that's a promise."

**Uh-oh. It looks like Boss's trap just got sprung an' so far it's goin' slicker than goose grease.**

* * *

Bo smiled gently to himself as he leant against a wooden post in the barn watching his uncle brushing Maudine the mule. The old man's gnarled hands were gentle as he went about his task and he gave no indication that he knew his nephew was behind him.

"Well," he suddenly said without turning, "are we gonna talk or are you gonna stand there all day?"

Bo grinned to himself. Luke was right – nothing got past Uncle Jesse. He moved forward and rested one hand gently against Maudine's back, not really knowing what to say. Uncle Jesse watched him steadily.

Bo sighed.

"I know I shouldn't have run like I did an' I should've stayed an' talked. An' I know ya was only tryin' to protect me… but you really hurt me Uncle Jesse. You really hurt me."

The old man sighed.

"I know I did. I never meant to hurt you… I'd never hurt any of you kids on purpose… But I never knew how to tell ya. Sometimes I'd think about tellin' ya but then I'd think you were still too young. That maybe it'd be easier if I just waited a while."

The boy backed up and sat down on a bale of hay, running a hand through his blonde curls.

"Why'd you take me in Uncle Jesse?"

His uncle frowned deeply.

"What do you mean?"

Bo bit his lip and looked away. He sighed.

"You told me that I was born early an' that my Daddy died comin' to the hospital to see me. If I hadn't been born then he wouldn't've died. An' he was your brother. Did ya really want me or did you just take me 'cause no-one else would?"

The old man came over and sat down next to him.

"Son don't ever think that we didn't want you. You were Robert's son an' you were such a lovin' little boy. When you were about three you used to come an' meet me whenever I came back in from the fields. You'd come runnin' over from the house an' throw your arms 'round my neck an' giggle if my beard tickled ya," he said. "You were born on the kitchen floor and your Daddy an' me rushed ya to the hospital in my truck 'cause you were born so early. Robert was real scared because you were too little but real excited 'cause he'd got a little boy… Ya know I've always felt sorry for your Momma."

"Why?"

"Because she missed out on so much. Maggie loved your Daddy deeply an' was really lookin' forward to bein' a Momma. But you were born too early an' then Robert was killed by a drunk driver when you was two weeks old an' the hospital kept tellin' her you'd probably die. Maggie couldn't cope. She snuck out of here one night after we'd all gone to bed an' left us a note sayin' that she'd lost Robert an' couldn't bear to lose her baby too."

"Why didn't she ever come back?"

The old man sighed.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Maybe she felt like she couldn't. Maybe if you look in that box she left ya you'll find out." He looked at his young nephew meaningfully.

Bo shifted uncomfortably.

"Maybe," he agreed. Then he smiled. "You know I'm really glad I came home. I didn't like the city an' I was so lonely. I was just scared ya wouldn't be able to forgive me for runnin' off."

Uncle Jesse slipped his arm around the boy's shoulders.

"Ain't nothin' to forgive," he rumbled. "But I want ya to promise me something Bo." He paused. "You really scared me. I didn't where ya were. I didn't know if you were ok. I want ya to promise me that you won't run off like that again 'cause I'm not sure I could live through it again."

Bo regarded his uncle seriously.

"I promise," he said.


	7. To Trap a Duke

**I've got to say thank you again for all your kind reviews.**

**Sorry for the delay – real life was intruding. I'll worn anyone who's interested right now that there may be a bit of a delay between this and the next chapter too – but I'll get it up as quickly as I can.**

**I don't own the Dukes – although I wish I did.**

* * *

To say that Luke wasn't having much luck was an understatement. Rhuebottom's was out of most of the things Uncle Jesse had asked him to get, his driving licence hadn't turned up yet and to cap it all he hadn't been able to find either Rosco or Cletus to report it missing. Having delivered all the packages to the orphanage and feeling increasingly frustrated with his run of bad fortune today, he decided to go for a drive to let off some steam. Rounding a bend in the road he was rather surprised to see Cottontail Road blocked off ahead of him.

"What the heck is this all about?" he muttered to himself.

**Now ol' Luke ain't no fool an' he knows when somethin' don't seem right.**

Pulling gently to a stop, he reached for the CB.

"Shepherd this is one of your lost sheep. You got yer ears on?"

"This is Shepherd," came the gruff reply. "Luke did ya find your licence and deliver them presents to the orphanage yet?"

"I delivered your packages but no-one'd seen my licence an' tryin' to find Rosco and Cletus today is a bit like tryin' to catch a willow-the-wisp. Listen I kinda decided to take the long way home an' give the General a run. You got any idea why Cottontail Road'd be closed?"

"No. You'd better get back here though. It's nearly suppertime an' I reckon Bo might just try to eat your share too if you ain't here."

Luke smiled at the muffled protest he heard in the background. Setting the CB down, he turned the General and headed for home.

**You know I bet Luke wouldn't be so cheerful if he realised his tail's about to be caught in a crack.**

* * *

Tony Dawson grunted in thanks to the driver who had picked him up from the side of the road as he got out of the truck in Hazzard Square. Taking a minute to look around he sighed in exasperation. His first impression of Hazzard wasn't exactly favourable and it was his bad luck to be stranded here at least overnight. Grimly he set his shoulders and marched towards the courthouse, which he was guessing probably doubled as the sheriff's office, fingering the licence in his pocket as he did.

Once inside Tony saw a grossly fat little man in a white suit coming towards him with a self-important look on his face. Tony shuddered. Dealing with petty little county officials always set his teeth on edge. Before the fat man could speak Tony cut him off.

"I need to talk to the sheriff now," he stated firmly.

"My name's Hogg. J D Hogg. Jefferson Davies Hogg. An' I'm the county commissioner around here. My sheriff's just stepped outside for a minute. Would ya like to sit down Mr… er…?"

"Dawson. Tony Dawson."

"Well I think I can hear the sheriff now."

As he said this Rosco burst in through the door with a box in his hand.

"Ooh good news, good news. I found the pralines you wanted," he enthused.

Tony rolled his eyes as Boss Hogg spluttered.

"Rosco," he snapped, "forget about that. This is Mr… er… Mr… er…"

"Dawson," Tony interjected. "I was bringing a shipment of televisions through your county an' I was hijacked."

"My, my, my," said Boss. "That's just terrible. Where were ya at the time?"

"I was comin' towards Hazzard and followed a diversion down a dirt road," growled the trucker. "A couple of miles down the road there was a blue sedan pulled across the road. I got out to see if I could help and three masked men held me up at gunpoint. They took my keys and my wallet and then drove off in my truck. It's taken me a couple of hours to hitchhike into town."

"I'm Sheriff Rosco P Coltrane. Did ya see what the men looked like?"

"Are ya deaf or just stupid?" Tony asked acidly. "I already told you they wore masks. One of 'em was tall an' well built an' did all the talking, the second one was short and scrawny an' the third was average height and build. One of them made a mistake though an' dropped this licence." He pulled the licence out of his pocket and held it out towards the sheriff.

Boss Hogg's pudgy hand darted forward and grabbed the licence.

"Well, well and well," he said. "Luke Duke. You don't need to worry Mr… er… Luke Duke's a well known local troublemaker. I'll send out the sheriff to pick him up right away. Let me offer you the hospitality of the Hazzard Hotel for the night. Rosco take Cletus an' get out to the Duke farm an' arrest Luke Duke."

Rosco's eyes lit up.

"Hot pursuit! I love it, I love it."

**Well I don't love it! Look out Luke!**

* * *

In the hayloft of the Duke barn Bo settled himself comfortably between a couple of bales of hay. Pulling his knees up under his chin, he looked at the shoebox on the floor next to him almost as if it were a live rattlesnake. He sighed, torn between the desire to find out everything he could about his parents and wanting to forget that his mother had ever existed. He still didn't really understand why she had left or why she'd never come back. What was it Uncle Jesse had said? That maybe if he looked in the box he'd find out why. Bo sighed again. Gently he cut the string bound tightly around the box with his knife and slipped the lid off.

There wasn't much inside the box. It was sad really. That a person's like could be contained in one small shoebox. Bo sorted through the things carefully, taking each item out and turning it over in his hands. Aside from several old photos there was a man's silver and turquoise bracelet, a pocket knife in a pouch, an old journal, a well-thumbed bible, a woman's wedding and engagement rings and a piece of material that appeared to be the corner of an old baby blanket. As the young man picked up the bible an envelope fell out. He stiffened slightly as he noticed that it was addressed to himself. Carefully he opened the envelope and slipped the paper out, unfolding it gently. He began to read.

_Dear Beauregard,_

_Are you a Beauregard or are you a Bo? Lord this seems like such a silly was to start a letter to a child I haven't seen in over twenty-one years. But I guess there is no right way to write this._

_I wonder what you're like now. Are you tall and strong? Dark like Robert or blonde like me? Are you smart? Sometimes I find myself looking at the faces of strangers I see in the street and wondering if maybe one of them's you. It's strange to think that somewhere in the world I've got a grown up son and I don't even know what he looks like. That's my own fault I suppose._

_And I wonder what sort of man you're becoming. I'm guessing a good one if your Uncle Jesse's got anything to do with it._

_There's so much I want to tell you but I simply don't have time. The chances of me ever being able to sit down in front of you and explain things face to face are slim so I guess I'll have to settle for this letter._

_The first thing I want to tell you is that I love you. Whatever else you think of me please don't ever think I didn't love you._

_And I want to tell you about your Daddy. About Robert. Robert was quite simply the best man I ever met. He was tall and handsome and kind. Gentle and loving. He had a wicked sense of humour – the first time we met he tied my pigtails to a chair. He had the Duke temper – he could get angry real quick – but he was just as quick to laugh or smile. And his family was the most important thing in his life._

_We got married when I was eighteen. Robert had been chasing me for a year by then. We got married on a real hot June day and then came back to the farm with Jesse and Lavinia for a party. I got pregnant quickly but the baby died before it could be born. Then a couple of years later I got pregnant again. Robert got so excited. Told everyone he met about his son. I used to laugh and ask him what would happen if you were a girl. And he'd say he didn't really care if you were a boy or a girl as long as you were healthy and happy. But he just had this feeling you were going to be a boy._

_And then you were born and it was the best and worst time in our lives._

_Then Robert died and part of me died with him. It was raining when we buried him, and I'd had to borrow a black dress off your Aunt Lavinia because I didn't have one and everyone kept telling me how well I looked. And then I went to the hospital and the doctors told me that I should be ready to lose you too. I can remember looking down at you – at this tiny little baby surrounded by machines and wires – and wondering what had happened to my life. And I knew that I couldn't do it. I couldn't face burying my baby. And if you did live I knew I couldn't face raising you on my own._

_So I ran. I was a coward. I left you to Jesse and Lavinia and I knew they'd look after you better than I ever could. That if you lived they'd love you as if you were their own._

_For a few years I kept drifting. Never staying in one place for too long. Trying to forget that I'd ever lived in a place called Hazzard. That I'd ever had a family and a baby of my own._

_Then about eight years ago some people I knew passed through Hazzard and they told me they'd heard of a Jesse Duke who was raising his niece and two nephews. And I knew one of those nephews had to be you. And I started wondering about you. Wondering what you were like._

_I suppose I should have come back then but I was scared. Scared of facing you. Scared of what you'd think of me. Like I said, I was, and am, a coward._

_Then three months ago they told me I had cancer. And I know now that I'll never see you. Never know what you look like. Never know what sort of person you are. Never see you get married and have children of your own._

_I wanted you to know a bit about your Daddy and a bit about me. About why I did what I did._

_The things in the box and the last bits I have that were Robert's and some bits that are mine. The last special things I have to give you. The journal is the last one your Daddy used. Your Uncle Jesse should be able to tell you about the rest._

_I love you and I'm sorry for everything. I hope you have a good life._

_Maggie Clarkson-Duke._

Bo slid the letter carefully back into its envelope and neatly re-packed the box. Tucking it under his arm, he descended the ladder, left the barn and began to cross the yard, pausing as the General pulled to a halt.

Luke half slid out of the car and sat in the window with his arms folded on the roof, squinting at his cousin.

"You ok?" he asked.

Bo smiled slightly. Luke could pick up on his moods better than anyone.

"Been better," he admitted. "It's kinda sad. The only things my Momma had left of my Daddy can be fitted in this little box." He paused. "Ya know I always wondered if I was like my parents an' I guess I found out today that I'm like my Momma."

"How d'ya mean?"

"We both ran away from our problems an' we were both scared to come back. I'm no better than she was. Just a dang coward."

Luke sighed and shook his head. Sliding the rest of the way out of the General, he came to stand beside Bo.

"You ain't no coward," he insisted. " 'sides there's one difference between you an' your Momma."

"What's that?"

"Ya might have been scared but ya still came home. That ain't somethin' a coward'd do."

Bo turned to his cousin and suddenly smiled.

"Thanks."

Luke grinned back.

"No charge," he said.

* * *

Luke was helping Daisy set the table for supper while Uncle Jesse stirred a pot on the stove. Bo was out in the barn collecting wood for the fire.

Suddenly the Dukes heard sirens sounding outside. Daisy turned and looked out of the window.

"It's Rosco an' Cletus," she said as she turned back.

"Now what the heck do they want?" grumbled Uncle Jesse.

Luke shrugged.

"Ya got me," he said. "But don't it seem like they always manage to turn up at a meal time?"

The old man laughed.

"Yeah," he agreed. "You'd best let 'em in Daisy an' we can see what they want."

As the sheriff and Cletus came in Uncle Jesse rounded on them.

"What do ya want Rosco?"

Rosco, it appeared, could hardly contain his glee.

"I got you this time Luke Duke. I really got you. An' I'm gonna cuff you an' stuff you."

Luke frowned at him.

"Rosco you ain't makin' a whole lot of sense. What're ya trying to arrest me for this time?"

"Fer armed robbery an' hijackin' an' grand theft auto." Rosco chortled. "You'll get twenty years to life. We got a witness who saw ya drop yer licence at the scene of the crime. Cletus, cuff him."

As Cletus started to handcuff Luke, the dark haired Duke boy tried to reason with the sheriff.

"Hold on a minute Rosco. I've been tryin' to find ya all day to tell ya that I lost my licence an' ask if it'd been handed in."

**Now friends Luke's supposed to be the smart one in the family so ya'd have thought he'd've realised by now there ain't no point in tryin' to reason with Rosco.**

"Tiddly-tuddly. Quit lyin'. I got ya bang to rights this time. Cletus go get him in the car.

**What did I tell ya!**

"Rosco he ain't lyin'," objected Daisy.

"Daisy, hush. I don't believe a word you Dukes say anyway," Rosco stated as he marched out the door.

* * *

Bo watched from the barn in consternation as Luke was led to Rosco's car in handcuffs and driven away. He had been ready to go and help his cousin but a hand signal from Uncle Jesse had motioned him to stay out of sight.

As soon as the two patrol cars were gone he rushed across the yard to join the rest of his family.

"What the heck's goin' on?" he demanded.

Uncle Jesse filled him in quickly. The young man frowned.

"That don't make no sense," he said.

"I know," the old man admitted. "But I don't think it's a coincidence that our mortgage payment's due tomorrow."

His young nephew looked at him thoughtfully.

"We need to find out what's goin' on. I'll go into town an' get Luke out. The two of us'll camp out tonight an' then once ya've made the mortgage payment in the mornin' I reckon we can work out what we're gonna do."

"How d'ya reckon on gettin' Luke out without payin' bail or gettin' arrested yerself?" Uncle Jesse growled.

Bo grinned.

"Well I've got an idea," he said, "but I'm gonna need Daisy to shuck an' jive Rosco fer me."

**I don't know what scares me more: the thought of Luke in jail an' the Dukes losin' the farm or the thought of ol' Bo comin' up with a plan.**


	8. The Waiting Game

**Now I know I said there might be a bit of a delay between chapters but I didn't really mean for it to be just over two years!! Oh well - real life (and getting married) got in the way. As did the death of my computer – a slight problem when it had all my stories on it! But I'm back now and I intend to stick around this time.**

**Once again I need to say thanks for all the kind reviews. I have to agree with ****GrayWolf84 – I like Tony Dawson too… so much that I think he might just stay in Hazzard for a day or two.**

**I don't own the Dukes – although I wish I did.**

* * *

**Now Luke ain't no stranger to the back seat of a Hazzard County patrol car nor to the cells in the sheriff's office. But no matter how many times he's there he still don't like them!**

Tony Dawson watched as the Hazzard patrol car pulled up and a protesting young man with dark hair was led up the steps to the courthouse. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Something didn't seem quite right here. The young man who's been arrested was clearly the owner of the driving licence he'd found but didn't quite match the build of any of the men who'd hijacked him. Then there had been the county commissioner's attitude. The fat man had seemed almost gleeful as he'd ordered the arrest. The Californian trucker wasn't stupid and his instincts were telling him that something was off. Looking around Hazzard Square he decided that he needed to do a little investigating himself.

**Ya know I'm beginning to like this fella better already**

* * *

At the Duke farm Bo was loading a couple of sleeping bags, his and Luke's bows and arrows and some sandwiches thoughtfully packed by Daisy into the back of the General. Feeling a hand on his arm he turned and smiled at the concerned face of his uncle.

"Ya know I still don't like this," the old man grumbled.

"I know Uncle Jesse. I just don't see what other choice we got."

"I know it. But that don't mean I gotta like it. You be careful now, ya understand?"

The young blonde just stopped himself from rolling his eyes. Instead he smiled again in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.

"I will be," he said. "Everything's gonna be fine. Luke an' me'll meet ya at still site number nine after ya made the payment tomorrow."

His uncle nodded.

"It's gonna get mighty cold tonight. You got Luke's coat in there?"

"Yes sir."

"That old jacket of yours ain't none too warm an' I reckon you'll need this more than me tonight," stated Jesse as he took off his coat and held it out to his nephew.

"Uncle Jesse," Bo objected, "I can't take yer coat."

"Ya can an' ya will if ya don't want a trip to that there woodshed," his uncle answered.

**Round the Duke farm Uncle Jesse's word is law an' I don't reckon ol' Bo's gonna start disobeying him anytime soon.**

Bo sighed.

"Yes sir," he said.

**Ya see what I mean?**

* * *

As he drove away Bo looked in the rearview mirror and saw his uncle standing almost forlornly on the porch. Daisy had left for her shift at the Boars Nest almost an hour before with full instructions of how and when to put her part of the plan into action.

Turning his attention back to the road the younger Duke boy let himself relax back into the driver's seat, smiling softly to himself as he did. The General felt good. He spoke to Bo in ways that even Luke could only just begin to understand. Without really thinking Bo turned off the main road and began to pick up speed as he drove towards the creek. He wasn't really about to jump the creek for fun, he told himself, it was simply that he needed to get to town as quickly as possible.

As the stock car took off, Bo couldn't help letting off his rebel yell, thoroughly startling a few unsuspecting birds who had settled down to roost. Heart quickening, he laughed with sheer delight as the General made a textbook landing on the other side.

Resolutely turning the nose of the car towards town he resisted the urge to go back and do it again.

**Ya know that boy ain't never gonna grow up.**

* * *

The more people Tony Dawson spoke to the more unhappy he was becoming. Far from being the troublemaker Boss Hogg had made out Luke Duke appeared to be one of Hazzard's favourite sons. In the last couple of hours he had heard stories of how the Dukes had helped save the orphanage, of how they'd stopped some bank robbers, of how they'd closed down a carjacking ring, of how they'd helped an old widow look after her farm when her son was laid up, of how they'd helped put a new roof on the church; the list seemed to go on and on.

Then there was Boss Hogg. The townsfolk had used words like "greedy" and "corrupt" to describe their county commissioner. They spoke of watered down beer in his bar, over inflated prices at his funeral home, foreclosures on mortgages for the pettiest of reasons, of shady deals and of new rules and laws that kept getting passed with only one aim – to line the fat man's pockets. One local had said "Boss'd steal candy from a baby... I'm surprised he ain't thought of that yet." Above all the locals had spoken of Boss Hogg's dislike of the Duke family. Of how he was always trying to arrest them and put them in jail or foreclose on their mortgage and force them to leave.

Tony sighed. The more he'd heard the more he'd been convinced he'd unwittingly helped send an innocent man to jail. Now he just had to figure out a way to put things right.

Looking around, the big Californian noticed a light was on in the Hazzard Garage. He'd been told it was owned by one of Luke Duke's best friends. Well there was no time like the present to go and offer his help. Silently he began to cross the square.

**Looks like the Dukes got themselves an ally they don't even know yet.**

* * *

Back at the Duke farm Jesse was finishing up the evening chores, hoping to keep himself from worrying by keeping busy. He trusted his boys but that didn't mean he didn't worry about them. Sometimes he thought bringing up two lively boys and one spirited girl was what had turned his hair white.

The farm seemed unnaturally quiet as he crossed the yard. Jesse normally enjoyed these moments of silence and stillness because they were so few and far between. Tonight, however, the silence seemed oppressive, stifling him. He hurried into the house.

Sitting down in his favourite chair he grabbed the paper and tried to distract himself with it. The smiling faces of his three children stared down at him from various pictures around the room.

_Jesse frowned as he came across his younger nephew sitting hunched behind a wagon, knees pulled up under his chin, sniffing and dragging a grimy hand across his eyes in an attempt to stop his uncle from seeing he'd been crying. At ten years old Bo thought he was far too old to be seen crying by anyone. Jesse sat down next to the child and gazed out across the farm, knowing that it was only a matter of time before his nephew opened up to him._

" '_s Luke," the child sniffled._

_Jesse smiled and slid an arm around his nephew's thin shoulders. Bo was small for his age and so skinny that Luke often said he'd seen more meat on a fence post. Jesse had a feeling though that the little boy would eventually turn out tall like his father and that he'd one day overtake his dark haired cousin. He chuckled. Luke was in for a surprise the day that happened. The chuckle turned to a frown when he realised the little blonde's breath was beginning to hitch – a sure sign that he was getting upset enough to trigger his asthma._

"_Easy son. Breathe deep now. Now what's all this with Luke?"_

"_Luke come in an' he seemed kinda upset an' I asked him if he wanted to play ball cuz that cheers me up an' he said no an' I asked him what was eatin' him an' he said I was too little to understand an' why'd I gotta follow him around anyways cuz he didn't wanna play with no baby an' I got kinda mad an' I hit him an' ran out here."_

_The little boy looked so miserable that Jesse almost didn't have the heart to scold him for letting his temper flare and hitting his cousin. He stayed silent for a moment trying to work out how to comfort the child best. Luke had always allowed Bo to join him in everything – even in some things that Jesse wished he hadn't, feeling that they weren't safe for a young child. To have Luke say that he didn't want Bo around must have been come as a real shock to the boy._

"_Well," he said, "I reckon if Luke was upset ya shoulda left him alone. Luke's growin' up an' there's gonna be times when he needs a bit of space an' some time to hisself. An' ya shouldn't have hit him neither. That's never right. Luke oughtn't have said what he did to ya an' I'm gonna go an' have a word with him 'bout that but I reckon he didn't really mean it. I think Luke was probably upset 'bout somethin' else an' you were just the nearest person to shout at. Don't make it right but I reckon Luke's probably feelin' pretty bad 'bout it right now."_

_He stood and pulled the blonde child to his feet._

"_Now I reckon Daisy's got a cookie with yer name on it if ya tell her I said so."_

_Jesse watched his youngest go into the house before turning and trudging across the yard in search of his eldest. Instinct and experience told him that the best place to look was probably the hayloft. All three children tended to seek solace there in times of trouble. He pulled himself up the ladder carefully, noting with a certain detachment that it wasn't as easy as it used to be. He frowned. Somewhere along the way he'd begun to get old._

_Luke was sat between a couple of bales of hay with his knees pulled up under his chin, unconsciously mimicking the pose his uncle had found his small cousin in a few minutes before. Jesse smiled to himself; his boys were more alike than even they knew._

_Getting Luke to open up was going to be much more difficult than it had been with Bo. The younger Duke boy had a child's innocence and trust in his elders, and had the sort of open personality that could be read like a book. Luke had always been far more guarded, preferring to keep his feelings to himself rather than share them with others._

_Jesse eased himself down next to his older nephew and sat there in silence for a few minutes, knowing better than to push Luke when he was upset._

_After some time he spoke._

"_Yer cousin's mighty upset. I reckon you owe me an explanation."_

"_Don't wanna talk about it," Luke mumbled rebelliously._

"_Bo reckons you don't wanna be 'round him no more an' got so worked up he nearly set off his asthma. Is he right thinkin' that?"_

_The fifteen year old looked stricken._

"_Nah," he said quickly. "I didn't mean none of the stuff I said to him Uncle Jesse. I just wanted to be by myself."_

"_What's got ya so upset that ya lashed out at yer cousin?" Jesse asked sternly._

"_He lashed right back," Luke protested. He winced as he rubbed his arm where his cousin's small fist had made contact. "Ya know he hits real good fer a little guy."_

_Jesse raised an eyebrow._

"_Quit tryin' to avoid the question Luke."_

_The boy sighed, knowing that his uncle would not accept anything less than the truth._

"_Ellie," he mumbled._

"_The James girl?" asked his uncle, slightly startled. Luke had started showing an interest in girls over the past year, but Jesse hadn't known he'd even looked at Ellie James._

"_Yeah," Luke sighed. "A couple a days ago I asked her to go with me to the school dance on Friday an' she said yes. Then this mornin' she's in Hazzard Square with her friends an' everyone around an' she comes up to me an' says that sayin' she'd go to the dance with me was a joke cuz she'd never be seen out with some barefoot farm boy an' how everyone knows us Dukes ain't worth a hill of beans an' how she was really goin' with Hughie Hogg. An' everyone standin' 'round laughin' at me an' I got real mad an' I left an' come home cuz I wanted to hit her and I couldn't cuz she's a girl."_

_Jesse sighed._

"_Now you listen to me Lukas Duke. Yer worth ten of that Ellie James an' don't you go believin' anyone that tells ya any different. As fer that Hughie Hogg I'd like to put him over my knee. I reckon a switchin' would do that boy a world of good. You gotta remember if anyone laughs at yer that yer a Duke an' that's worth more than gold. Now I know you was upset but that ain't no reason to take it out on your cousin now is it?"_

_Luke flushed and looked at the ground._

"_No sir," he said._

_Jesse smiled._

"_Good boy," he said. "Now I reckon you owe someone an apology."_

_They descended from the hayloft together and started to cross the yard, stopping as a small blonde figure came bouncing towards them. The child stopped in front of them and looked up at his cousin, his heart in his eyes._

"_I'm sorry Luke," he said. "I shouldna made ya angry and I shouldna hit ya."_

_Luke sighed._

"_Nah. I'm the one that should be sorry," he replied. "I didn't mean what I said. I was angry at someone else and I shouldn't've taken it out on you."_

_Bo smiled._

"_That's what Uncle Jesse said. Daisy gave me a cookie an' I got one for you too cuz yer were upset."_

_Luke smiled as he took the cookie._

"_C'mon cuz," he said, "race ya to the pond and back."_

_Jesse smiled as he watched his two boys race off together, Luke running slowly to let his smaller cousin keep up. There were times when they drove him to distraction but he wouldn't give up any of his children for the world and nothing made him happier than seeing them happy._

Jesse woke up with a start. He certainly hadn't meant to doze off. Pushing himself up from his chair, he made his way out onto the porch and looked up at the stars.

"Keep my youngins safe tonight," he prayed.

* * *

**Now ol' Jesse ain't the only one playin' the waitin' game tonight. Down at Cooter's garage Bo's waitin' fer Daisy to shuck an' jive Rosco so he can go an' rescue Luke. An' he don't take to waitin' any more kindly than Jesse.**

Cooter looked up in exasperation at his blonde friend pacing up and down the garage.

"Buddyro if ya don't stop walkin' an' start sittin' I'm gonna have ta tie ya to the chair."

Bo glared at the mechanic.

"I just don't know what's takin' Daisy so long," he burst out.

"Maybe she ain't been able to get away from the bar yet. An' wearin' a hole in my floor ain't gonna help ya anyway. 'sides has Daisy ever let ya down?"

"No."

"Well she ain't gonna start now. Now are you gonna calm down? Cuz ya ain't gonna help Luke like this."

Bo dropped rebelliously into the garage's one chair still muttering under his breath.

Shaking his head with amusement Cooter went back to working on an engine. After a couple of minutes he was disturbed again.

"I'm sorry Cooter. I just don't like waitin' is all. The sooner I get Luke outta there the sooner we can work out what we're gonna do."

Before the scruffy mechanic could respond to his friend they were both startled by a noise from outside. They turned just as a figure stepped out of the shadows.

"Maybe I can help," it said.


End file.
